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Bleacher Report: Ailing Angels pitching needs a visit from the Doc

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From the Bleacher Report:

OK, so here it is. The obligatory “[my team goes here] should go after Roy Halladay” article.

But believe it or not, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim actually have a legitimate chance to get the Doc. And God knows they could use him.

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On Wednesday night, the Angels completed their second sweep of the Kansas City Royals, thanks in no part to the efforts of Joe Saunders.

Saunders began the season exactly where he’d left off, and looked like he would make his second consecutive All-Star appearance. Funny how quickly things change.

In his last five starts, Saunders has failed to record a single quality start, let alone a win, and watched his ERA balloon from 3.66 to just shy of 5.00.

His last win came almost a month ago against the Colorado Rockies, and he’s surrendered a home run in every outing since June 7 at Detroit.

Ervin Santana is having similar issues.

Since coming off an extended stay on the disabled list, Santana has struggled to regain his All-Star form from a year ago. In 10 starts, he’s managed to give up three runs or less in just four outings, and has racked up an astonishing 6.79 ERA.

Fortunately, the Angels have been scoring in droves lately, so while the starting rotation has been a bit inconsistent, they’ve not been blowing the recent 10- and 11-run performances from the offense.

Don’t fool yourself, though; it won’t last forever.

And when the bats come crashing back to Earth, the Halos will need the starters who give up less than five runs per game.

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What’s that you say? Roy Halladay’s still on the market?

Of course the Angels should insert themselves in the trade rumors, and they certainly have the talent to compete with other teams in that realm.

Getting a pitcher like Halladay is worth the loss of as many prospects as it takes. And when the Toronto Blue Jays say they want a major league-ready player in return, guess what? L.A. has got that too.

In spades.

First, down on the farm, Toronto may have the pick of the litter. Brandon Wood, Terry Evans, Sean Rodriguez — they’re all expendable.

No up-and-comer is worth more than what Halladay brings to the table.

Every fifth day, you’ve got a guy who is as automatic as the sunrise. Halladay is as likely to go at least seven innings while giving up less than four runs as Rex Hudler is to get “pumped up” about it.

For that, the Angels should be happy to part with their entire triple-A squad. As for major league talent, would anyone really complain if the Halos included either Howie Kendrick or Erick Aybar as part of a package for Halladay?

Aybar has been playing out of his mind lately, making spectacular plays in the field and coming through in key situations at the plate. But losing him would not be a terribly crushing blow.

The Angels are deep at the middle infield positions, and besides which, other batters on this team have come through in the clutch as well. Aybar is talented, but he is not irreplaceable. Kendrick, on the other hand, has gone through some serious setbacks offensively this season and has booted his share of balls at second base.

Having said that though, he is still a work in progress. When his molding is complete and his potential is fully reached, Kendrick will look to be a prolific hitter and a doubles machine.

No team would even think twice about whether they should take him.

The Blue Jays will also be looking for a pitcher to replace Halladay — at least as much as anyone can take his place.

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No problem.

As far as prospects go, Sean O’Sullivan has been the best thing to come out the Angels’ minor league system since Kendry Morales. Like Kendrick, his game clearly needs some polishing, but O’Sullivan has been impressive thus far.

Starting with his major league debut against the San Francisco Giants earlier this season – a game in which he threw seven innings of one-run ball – O’Sullivan has gone 3-0 with a 3.72 ERA in five starts and has shown amazing poise on the mound.

The 21-year-old has the potential to be a star in this league, and any team would be lucky to hear his name come up in a trade.

If Toronto prefers an established big leaguer to take Halladay’s place on the mound, however, the Angels should have no qualms about offering the aforementioned Santana.

Despite his previously discussed struggles this season, Santana is only a year removed from being an All-Star, and he has the stuff to be a future Cy Young winner. His plus-fastball mixed with his knee-buckling off-speed pitches make for a deadly combination, and if Santana can just find some consistency in his location, he’ll be a solid No. 1 or No. 2 starter in his career.

Package up any five of the above names, and the Angels could be the proud owners of a shiny new ace in their rotation. It’s absurd to think the Blue Jays will deal Halladay to either the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox.

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Sure, each team has pieces that might fit well in Toronto, but the whole idea behind the Jays moving Halladay now is to improve their chances in their division. What sense would it make, then, to send him to one of the teams the Blue Jays are trying so desperately to top?

Halladay is likely to move in the next week, but not to an AL East contender. In fact, if you listen to ESPN baseball analyst Tim Kurkjian, none of the supposed “front-runners” – including the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers and Phillies – are likely to end up with the best pitcher in the American League.

So why not the Angels? They are in at least no worse a position than any other team, and the Halos have plenty of prospects and major league talent to make a deal. The Angels are also a highly attractive team, as far as players are concerned, and Halladay would have no trouble feeling comfortable in Anaheim.

With owner Arte Moreno running the front office and manager Mike Scioscia commanding the field, this team is committed to winning like few others are. They are aggressive baserunners, key-situational hitters and have the mjor league leader in saves at the back end of the bullpen.

[My team goes here] should absolutely go after Roy Halladay. It’s up to the Angels to fill in the blank.

-- Johnathan Kroncke

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